


Our tomorrows aren't forever

by Darth_Rainbow_Queen_Of_Coconuts



Category: MCU, Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel(MCU)
Genre: Concerns about being immortal, M/M, Mostly Bruce centric, Multi, My odd triad of broken men, No Beta, One does not simply get out of the mom zone, Sam is a good choice for Captain America, Tony loves Rhodey okay? fight me, Tony screeches, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-16
Updated: 2019-10-16
Packaged: 2020-12-17 07:20:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21050480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darth_Rainbow_Queen_Of_Coconuts/pseuds/Darth_Rainbow_Queen_Of_Coconuts
Summary: Steve struggles with immortality and the thought of carrying the shield forever. Bucky and Bruce argue that there's no forever but if it's just a mantle he wanna pass, there is a strong contender. Then there's fluff. And Tony screeches.





	Our tomorrows aren't forever

Steve was standing alone, leaning against the railing of the balcony of his quarters in the tower. His brows were furrowed, expression thoughtful. It happened often lately. Both Bruce and Bucky had noticed. The two who'd been sitting on a couch inside shared a worried glance, wondering whether or not they were supposed to asked their lover what was going on. When they had tried prior, it ended up in a screaming match between the two supersoldiers. Bruce would always leave, having little strength left to watch more couple disputes. He'd witnessed enough screaming matches in his childhood. And then either Bucky or Steve would notice that Bruce was gone, one of them mumble half-assed apologies that the other would reciprocate. After that, they'd pretend the whole ordeal never happened, not actually solving anything.

Steve returned, still silent and sat across from the two on an armchair. He picked up his sketchbook, a simple pencil as well and started to draw. "I'll say it." The blond mumbled, without looking up. He'd sensed the shift in the atmosphere, no hostility but a certain apprehension at his approach. "It's odd."

Bruce sighed softly, folding the right corner of a page of the book he was currently reading before closing it. "It's not odd, per say. Just a little destabilizing." The scientist patiently explained. "It's just that you've been behaving differently for a little while now. Bucky and I, we're worried about you."

The captain furrowed his brows. "What's there to be worried about ?"

"Really Stevie? You want to play that game again ?" Bucky asked, sounding both exasperated and wounded. "You're distant, silent, always brooding. And coming from me, that's a lot."

Steve glanced at Bruce. "You think the same ?"

"Yes." The gamma expert sighed. "No. I mean, I don't know what to think. One second you're craving proximity and the next you isolate yourself. You, you seem lost most of the time. And when we do come to find you, it still feels like you're miles away, growing further and further from us."

The blond's eyes widened for a second before he blinked, schooling his features. "We'll live forever." He finally let out. "We'll live forever and I, I don't think I can." That made the other two pause. "I can't live forever." Steve went on, blinking a few times. "I want to rest. I want to see my mom again, and Peggy, and it's selfish, but I don't want to be Captain America forever."

Bruce heaved a long sigh, closing the book in front of him. "We don't know that. We can't promise each other forever. Not in our line of work." He paused. "Future is uncertain, even for us. I know you two have been alive a lot longer than I, but I, have lived longer and all I know is that there isn't much I actually do. Not when it comes to the future. Fate, destiny, whatever you want to call it, nothing's prewritten, nothing can be measured or calculated with probabilities. We are who we are, yes. But none of us is immortal."

"We know that better than anyone. We died once already." Bucky went on, a somber gleam in his gaze. The words had hit him like a sniper a target. Silent but straight to the heart. Unexpected but brought by an ominous air. It hurt. It was final. It had happened. But it was a build up the male had felt in the pit of his stomach.

The blond nodded a few times. "Yes, yes, rationally I know all that but..." He sighed. "Look at the world out there, Buck. Nothing has changed. I thought I had won the last wars of all to wake up to a world where aliens were a threat and people tore themselves apart for the oddest reasons. I don't fit in."

"You never did." Bucky cut in, smiling a bit. "You never did quite fit in. That's what makes you so special."

Bruce nodded. "You embody all that's great in a soldier Steve, but you're a good man. It's that soul that got you that body. That lost and puzzled but willing soul." He wet his bottom lip. "You just have to realize that it's okay not to be able to save everyone. I know what that shield means to you, and I wish I could take that burden and go out there. But neither I, nor Bucky can do it."

"No." Bucky narrowed his eyes. "We can't, no. But Sam could. You once told me he was a great man."

Steve inhaled deeply. "Why would he want the shield?"

"Why did you?" Bruce asked.

Steve chuckled. "I didn't. Somebody just had to."

Bruce's lips curled up. "Then tell Sam that. Tell him you're going on holidays." He shrugged.

Steve chuckled. "I haven't taken a holiday since I spent some time in the ice."

"I..." Bucky blinked. "I don't think I even remember the last time I went on holidays."

Bruce shook his head, laughing against his hand. "You're disasters. Even Tony takes holidays."

Bucky rose an eyebrow. "When was the last time YOU went on a holiday?"

Bruce grinned. "Being me, Bruce Banner, with the two of you, is, a holiday." The scientist's grin widened as he watched the other two blush. It was ridiculous how the silliest things made them blush.

_Bruce remembered vividly the first time he'd made Bucky blush. It hadn't been intended at all. They'd been binge watching Crazy Ex-Girlfriend while Steve was on a mission with Sam in what was left of Sokovia. It was just the two of them for the first time and they were both fairly silent. It's not that they didn't like each other and were doing it for Steve or something. No. They understood each other fairly well, and frequently went out for drinks with Clint._

_The two communicated mostly through glances and subtle touch. Bruce talking to Bucky when he sensed the soldier move into darker headspace. Sometimes Bucky needed commanding, needed a mission to exist. Bruce indulged him with simple ones. Never made it a big deal. Always kissed Bucky's shoulder when he came back. And all was forgotten. Just like Bucky understood when Bruce was getting annoyed and how to avoid the specks of green in his eyes from turning into rage monsters. The cooling sensation of metal on the scientist's skin was always enough to know he could held if he wanted to. That someone saw him as more. As something worth fighting for. They were friends before they were lovers. Friends brought together by a certain shared understanding of dreadful situations. Neither had the pretension to believe they grasped the other fully. But they soothed each other's aches like balms on painful old scars._

_Bucky and Bruce were great at communicating, without saying a word. Thus why the silent binge watching, natural pass of unhealthy snacks and silent, discreet laughter. They lived subdued. Afraid happiness expressed too loudly would be taken away. But as the day turned into night and things grew colder, they decided to share a blanket. Neither really needing it. But both appreciating the proximity without having to ask for it. After feeling Bucky squirm for a couple of seconds, trying to ensure that the coldness of his metal arm wouldn't touch Bruce, the scientist had huffed and slipped his hands in Bucky's metal one. Sensing the stilling in the other's movements, Bruce had sought for his eyes, wondering if he'd overstepped. _

_"Why?" Bucky had asked when their eyes had met. _

_"Why what?" Bruce had opposed in lieu of a reply._

_Bucky slowly lifted their linked hands, making the scientist chuckle. _

_Bruce untangled their fingers to bring the metal arm to his chest, strengthlessly pressing it against his ribcage. "Because I love you, silly. All of you." No reply. But The scientist was rewarded with a smile, and the prettiest shade of pink he'd gotten the chance to see. Then hands had slipped and bodies shifted, Rebecca's issues forgotten in favor of exploration. _

_Bruce also remembered the first time he'd made Steve blush. They weren't even dating then. And he certainly hadn't been trying. But the development had led to something interesting..._

_Tony and Bruce had been in the Avengers' shared quarters' kitchen, bouncing ideas from one another. The billionaire had that look on his face, the extremely focused on Bruce kinda look. There was a single person currently talking Tony's language and it was the only one he was capable to hear. Except for Rhodey, and Pepper, maybe. If they'd interrupted, then he would've heart a vast echo dragging him back to the real world. But for now? For now the science bros were in their science bubble where everything made sense and what didn't had yet to be rationalized, theorized, tested and measured. It was weird watching the process, two grown up men, growing more and more excited as they threw scientifical terms at each other's face. It felt almost too private to be witnessed. Natasha, unphased was half listening while slowly sipping on coffee. And Steve, well, Steve was watching it happen, eyes narrowed and nose scrunched up as things seem to escalate._

_"Let's go to the lab!" Tony had declared, standing up as if he'd been on a spring. _

_Bruce had made a low, satisfied sort of grunt. "Yes, let's." He'd said, standing up as well. "Like right now." Was promptly added, in a sort of eager whine, as he fiddled with his glasses. _

_"God, I love when you speak nerdy to me." Tony had replied, moving in front of his friend._

_ "Tony, we might have found a way to stabilize the quantum tunneling effect, do you really wanna play clever or play with possible amazing new toys?" _

_The_ _engineer chuckled. "Both, I can achieve heavy ion fusion and snark at you at the same time, in fact I'm amazing at multitasking." _

_Bruce inhaled deeply, something witsful passing in his gaze as he narrowed his eyes for a second, giving his friend a once over. "How about you show me just as good you are in your lab then?" _

_That's the moment Steve had loudly cleared his throat and stood up as well. "You can't just..." He sputtered, as both scientists' eyes fell on him. Tony an eyebrow raised and Bruce head lightly tilted to the side, like a confused puppy. "I-I-huh-I-I mean. You, you didn't..." The soldier laughed nervously for a second, heavily blushing by now. _

_"You didn't even finish breakfast and you're going to be cooped up in there for a serious while."_ _Natasha mercifully intervened, before standing up to put her cup of coffee in the sink. _

_"Right." Tony's eyes narrowed as they flickered from Bruce to Steve for a few seconds. "Tell you what Cap? You're on food duty. Make sure we eat and sleep at reasonable hours, I'll tell Friday to let you in. How does that sound?"_

_ The soldier put his hand on his hips, feebly trying to regain some composure. "Good." _

_Tony chuckled. "Can we go now, mom?" Steve silently nodded, watching as Tony wrapped an arm around Bruce's shoulders, despite being shorter and led the two of them out. _

_"That was sad." Natasha had said, when they were out of earshot. "You should tell him before he misinterprets your jealousy for mother henning. Because_ _one simply does not get out of the 'mom' zone_." _She said and snorted to herself before leaving the room._

_Steve never made it to the mom zone. But he did, make out with Bruce._

_Bucky and Steve remembered the first time they'd made Bruce blush. It was very much intentional. They'd sneaked inside his lab, with the help of a willing Friday. The scientist had been cooped up in there for 72 hours, mostly drinking coffee but eating healthy dishes at semi-regular intervals, because, well, this was Bruce. And he had to be responsible for both him and Tony. The two supersoldiers had made sure to announce themselves and say hi. But had remained ignored by a Bruce mumbling under his breath as he went on with his work on a model for a future prototype of laser plasma accelerators that could generate gamma-ray pulses. Steve had tried poking Bruce's shoulder, being met with a non-committal low hum of acknowledgement but still no look. He and Bucky exchanged one. _

"What could we possibly do to pass the _time?" The sergeant had very theatrically asked. _

_"I don't know Buck, what do you suggest ?" Steve had asked, just as loudly, the hint of a smirk curling up his lips. _

_"I think we should make out." Bucky had very seriously declared, moving toward his best friend. Steve had laughed, but his lips were pliant under the winter soldier's as they met. It took Bruce a couple of seconds for his mind to catch up with the surroundings. Then he looked up from his desk and spun on his chair, finally associating the sounds with the image. Instantaneously, his cheek heated up, as he blinked doe eyed at the two. Steve was the first to catch Bruce's eyes on them, instead of actually pulling away, he separated his lips from Bucky's just to have them brush against one another, before taking his lover's bottom lip in his own. By now, Bruce was beetroot red yet unable to look away. Tony's screeching as he entered the lab was just an added bonus._

Maybe being together wasn't quite holidays. But it was entertaining in its own merits. And they could always go on an actual vacation. After all, they didn't have all the time in the world, just a lot of tomorrows that wouldn't go on forever.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not an english native speaker, so if you see any mistakes of any kind, please do point them out, I wanna learn ^^
> 
> Am I the only one who likes that odd trio? I hope not.
> 
> And huh, yeah, I think I didn't give enough room to Steve's struggle but perhaps in another piece.


End file.
